


(Fourth) Time's the Charm

by Kaillingme (Setty94)



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Light Angst, M/M, Office Sex, Rimming, Smut, was supposed to be enemies to lovers but turned into surprise officeau rip me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 19:36:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13465113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setty94/pseuds/Kaillingme
Summary: They say good things come in threes, well for Baekhyun bad things come in threes and good things come in fours.





	(Fourth) Time's the Charm

They always said that good things came in threes, but for Baekhyun, good things came in fours -- not that he would admit it to himself at the time, but the four run-ins he had with a certain Kim Jongin had ended up changing his life for the better.

From the very beginning, Baekhyun was sure that he hated Kim Jongin. All it took was his teachers setting up a mentor/mentee program at his private school and being assigned the perfect little golden angel and Baekhyun wanted nothing more than to ruin him.

He looked at the smaller boy and sneered on the inside. Jongin was the teacher’s pet. He was obedient and quiet and never acted out in class, quite unlike Baekhyun, who had a habit of talking back and being loud. It wasn’t that he meant to be like that, he was just opinionated even at a young age, and couldn’t stand it when teachers tried to lump him in with the other students.

So, little Jongin was now his to sully and sully Baekhyun was going to do. It started with telling Jongin to talk more in class. In the back of his mind, he could already see the eight year old interrupting class and getting put in time-out and the very thought made Baekhyun preen. No more perfect little angel Jongin.

Besides, it wasn’t as though Jongin wasn’t going to listen to Baekhyun either. Not with the way the little boy gazed at him with innocent awe that encompassed his entire perfect little face. It made Baekhyun want to punch him. Why was this child looking up to him anyway? What could he possibly see in him, they were only two grades apart, so shouldn’t Jongin be idolizing the the older kids like every other third grader?

Whatever, it wasn’t Baekhyun’s problem that Jongin followed him around like a lost puppy even after school ended. If anything, it was to his benefit. So he concocted a plan that night to further ruin Jongin’s precious reputation. Not only would he tell him to talk more during class, but he was going to give him his gameboy so the child would be so distracted that he would get in trouble. It was the perfect plan.

But, it had backfired.

Jongin had interpreted Baekhyun’s advice to speak more in class as participating more in discussions and all his teachers praised him. Some even threw some praise Baekhyun’s way for helping the young boy come out of his shell and all Baekhyun wanted to do was shove Jongin down in the sandbox. He was absolutely seething.

Not only that, but Jongin had been so careful about playing with the device, that he only did so during lunch, which was when he would seek Baekhyun out and ask him questions about how to catch certain pokemon and what type was good against which. It made Baekhyun see red, but even he had to admit that sharing the joy of pokemon with Jongin for the first time had softened his angry little heart. Still, he had the urge to shove that perfect little child’s face into a wall.

Baekhyun was vindictive, but these violent little fantasies only lasted for so long because when he caught Jongin being bullied on the playground, a special kind of rage filled him. Only he was allowed to push Jongin around (not that he ever did. Despite his anger towards the kid, he really never showed him anything other than kindness and the occasional snide remark about Jongin being too young and naive. Jongin was kind of his weakness -- something he realized much later.) So, Baekhyun had ended up in detention for the first time ever because of Kim Jongin.

In the end, he was stripped of his mentor status and Jongin was passed off to another child in his grade. It had irked Baekhyun at first, because he felt perfectly capable, but apparently ‘trouble-makers’ weren’t allowed to mentor the younger children. This was the beginning of a very confusing dislike for Jongin that lasted with him until he moved onto junior high.

_____

The next time Baekhyun had a run-in with Kim Jongin was in high school. He was just a boy of sixteen and a member of the drama club. It had become part of his identity and he dreamed to perform musicals and act. (Something that would most likely never happen, because Baekhyun was supposed to take over the family business when he came of age. It didn’t make much sense, given that he had an older brother, but then again, his parents never made much sense.) Of course, the day that he saw Jongin again was the day of auditions, which he had volunteered to help with the backstage setup. 

The second Baekhyun saw the freshman take the stage like the perfect prima ballerina he was, Baekhyun was cross between wanting to shred the electrical wires in his hands and staring at Jongin in awe. He had grown so much since elementary school and was starting to become rather attractive even to Baekhyun. Again, this was something he would never tell anyone, but when he watched Jongin dance, his heart did a little flip and right then and there was when he fell for him.

Still, Baekhyun held a grudge against Jongin and wanted to ruin him somehow, so after Jongin’s audition, Baekhyun had invited him to hang out with him after class. He knew his brother would be planning a party in between his semesters at university, so Baekhyun would have access to all the things that college kids did. It was a plan hatched in very depths of hell itself.

When school ended, Baekhyun found himself leaning against his friend’s car, a thin cigarette perched between his lip. He didn’t smoke, but he knew the image of him puffing on one would give Jongin just the impression he wanted. A complete badass, with not a care in the world.

He watched the golden-skinned freshman approach him, his black hair bouncing with each step and his hands firmly grasping the straps of his backpack. He looked so innocent and cute that it made Baekhyun want to slam his fist into his stomach. So, maybe he had a touch of ‘cute-aggression’, but at that age, Baekhyun had assumed it was because he hated Jongin.

Baekhyun pulled a mouthful of smoke into his mouth -- not fully inhaling because he knew if he did, he would fall into a fit of coughing and that was definitely not cool -- and let it out in Jongin’s face as the boy stopped right in front of him. He flicked the ashes off the end and they fell right onto the top of Jongin’s brand new shoes, earning Baekhyun a wilted smile. Perfect.

“Hey,” Baekhyun breathed. He was embodying the aura of every movie badass he could think of.

Behind him, his friends all greeted Jongin equally as cooly and Baekhyun had to stop himself was grinning too much. He had told them his plan to ruin Jongin’s goody-two-shoes persona and for lack of anything else more interesting to do, his friends had agreed to play the part.

Jongin shook the ash off his shoe and smiled shyly up at Baekhyun, “Um, hi,” he said.

Baekhyun balked inwardly at being on the receiving end of such a dazzling smile and faltered a moment, the cigarette trembling betwixt his fingers. One of his friends cleared their throat, and Baekhyun shook himself from his momentary lapse in control and flung the cigarette to the ground, stomping it out before turning to the car and jerking a thumb for Jongin to follow after him.

By the time Baekhyun and his crew arrived at his house, his older brother, Baekbeom, was already setting up the kegs and moving all the expensive items under the sink.

“Yo, keep you and your little high school friends out of the party,” Baekbeom shouted from the cabinet. He had been stashing a nice vase that his parents had received on their anniversary.

“Only if you give us booze,” Baekhyun yelled back and led everyone to the kitchen.

When he brother turned around and scowled, Baekhyun simply smirked back at him. It was seven against one and right now Baekbeom was outnumbered. He raised an eyebrow and outstretched a hand, while his brother went over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of vodka.

“Take this,” he started to hand it to Baekhyun and then jerked it away, “Don’t be stupid and drink the whole bottle. I don’t want to have to explain to Mom and Dad why you’re getting your stomach pumped again.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll be  _ responsible. _ ”

“You fucking better, if I get one cop car out here, I’m stringing your ass out for the whole world to see,” he held the bottle up just out of Baekhyun’s reach and glared at him.

“I promise, God, just hand it over,” Baekhyun said as he jumped up for the bottle.

He and his brother usually got along quite well, but ever since he went off to college, he had become what Baekhyun liked to call a ‘dickhole’.

“Better yet,” Baekbeom paused and put the bottle behind his back. Then he glanced directly at Jongin and snickered. “Who’s the fresh-meat?”

Exasperated Baekhyun dove for the bottle but Baekbeom put his back to the counter and let the bottle roll onto the counter. Baekhyun sighed, “He’s nobody.” He turned and saw the way Jongin’s eyebrows creased and corrected himself, “New friend, Baekbeom stop being an ass and give me the bottle.”

“Alright, fine,” he handed Baekhyun the bottle but didn’t let go. “If I have to take any of you to the hospital, I’m banning you from all future parties, got it?”

“ _ Yes, I get it, god damn, _ ” Baekhyun hissed and snatched the bottle out of his brother’s hands. He turned to face his friends and rolled his eyes even harder. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.”

Baekhyun kicked open his door and flung his backpack on the ground. He tossed the bottle onto his bed and surveyed everyone as they filed in. Last to enter was Jongin, still looking largely out of place and almost as if he wanted to dart back out the door. Baekhyun took the time to swing his arm over his shoulder, forcing himself not to notice just how amazing Jongin smelled, and then brought him to the center of the room.

"Guys, this is Jongin," he gestured at Jongin and then did a sweeping motion for the rest of his friends. "Jongin, this is everyone. Tonight we're gonna take real good care of him, okay?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly, hoping that they all understood the hidden message. Tonight he was planning on ruining that perfect angelic aura of Jongin's. He wanted to bring him some darkness, some debauchery to the golden boy. It was going to be good.

 

A few hours and many a swig from the bottle later, Baekhyun and his friends were sitting on the floor in a circle. From just outside the door, the thumping of music and the dull roar of voices could be heard. Of course, the group paid no attention to what was going on down below, they were much too caught up in their game of spin the bottle for that.

Baekhyun was sitting across from Jongin, who after a few shots looked a lot looser than he had when he first came here. He was leaning back on his hands and swaying slightly to the beat below, pausing every few seconds to do a little dance move. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Baekhyun was finding it extremely cute that Jongin was dancing as if no one else was paying attention. Dancing had to be in his blood because he really could not sit still.

He hated the boy. (That was a lie.) He wanted to see him fall from grace. (Another lie.) So, all he needed now was for all the pieces to fall into place. He gave a sidelong glance to his friends after that had sat down from their brief and awkward tonsil hockey, and the signal was received.

Moonri, one of Baekhyun's oldest friends, spun the bottle next and Baekhyun watched it with his heart pounding in his ears. It was as if time had slowed for a moment as the bottle ended up pointing directly at him. He gave Moonri a startled look, but being the good friend she was, she stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"I think it's time we play seven minutes in heaven, Baekhyun you're up," she yanked Baekhyun up by the arm and shoved him to the closet.

Baekhyun stumbled in, his feet not quite working the way they should've, but he was grateful for the darkness that hid the red tinge to his ears. He knew that once he was inside, his friends were going to drag Jongin in behind him. It was all part of the plan they had hatched to ruin him. (It was also part of a different plan to get the two of them together, but Baekhyun only found that out much later.) Baekhyun wasn't sure why they had suggested it be him that ended up in the closet with Jongin but in retrospect, it was painfully obvious.

The whole night, Baekhyun had not been able to keep his eyes off of Jongin for longer than a few seconds. It didn't matter if they were playing truth or dare, or cards, or whatever other game it was they played before spin the bottle, Baekhyun's eyes would find their way back to that shy smile that made his stomach do somersaults. He was so weak for Jongin.

The closet wasn't exactly big, but Baekhyun situated himself against on wall while the metal door grated open and Jongin tumbled in. In the back of his mind, he made a note to tell his friends to be more gentle with the freshman, but suddenly his vision was full of him. From the light filtering in between the slats in the door, Jongin's shy smile looked even more endearing.

It had to be the alcohol, Baekhyun thought, as he swallowed thickly. It just had to be, because now Jongin's everything was dazzling him. The way his black hair looked like dark chocolate from the hazy yellow light of his room, to the way his eyes widened in embarrassment when he tried to shift and ended up brushing against Baekhyun. He was just so cute.

"Um, so what do you want to do?" Baekhyun asked, kicking himself mentally for sounding so lame. He was supposed to be cool and collected, but right now all he could manage was painful awkwardness coupled with a sprinkling of anxiety over their proximity. Things were not going according to plan.

For an answer, Jongin leaned forward and placed his lips very briefly and chastely against Baekhyun's and then jumped back as soon as it happened. "Sorry, I just really wanted to do that, but..."

Baekhyun froze, bringing his fingers to his lips and examining Jongin's sheepish face. Had he misinterpreted his feelings for him? They stared at each other, both shocked and embarrassed before Baekhyun finally got the ability to speak back.

"But?"

It was almost silent, but Jongin whispered, "I've never kissed anyone before. You’re the first."

At that Baekhyun's heart melted into a puddle in his chest. Maybe he didn’t hate Jongin. (That was very true.) Maybe he didn’t want to see him fall from grace. (Also very true.) Maybe, just maybe Baekhyun wanted to _be_ _with_ Jongin. 

He captured Jongin's chin with his index and thumb and brought his lips back to his. This time, he led the kiss. It was gentle and only had the slightest parting of lips before Baekhyun pulled back. He didn’t want to scare Jongin off quite yet. He may have been a dumb freshman, but for some reason in the slatted light through the closet door, Jongin was  _ kinda fucking beautiful. _

"Don't worry, I'll be your coach," Baekhyun said before bringing their mouths back together.

Seven minutes had passed long ago, but the two of them remained in the closet for the better part of an hour, kissing and heavy petting. Teenaged boys had hormones, and these two were not exempt.

 

After that night, Baekhyun and Jongin had ended up rather inseparable for the duration of Baekhyun's time in high school. They went everywhere together. Baekhyun walked Jongin to is classes even if it meant he was late to his own. They would have cringey and gross phone calls where they dared the other to hang up first. It was puppy love at first, but for Baekhyun it grew to be something more.

Things were great for them, for the most part. All high school relationships had their blips and misunderstandings. But, when it came time for graduation, the two of them decided to part ways as long distance wasn't something most relationships survived.

Baekhyun was lonely for a long time after that.

_____

The third time Baekhyun saw Jongin was perhaps the worst of them yet. He had decided to get a part-time job to support himself in his last year of university. It was a simple waiting job at a swanky restaurant just about an hour away from his school, so Baekhyun made quite a bit on tips.

He liked the job. It was easy enough, even during the rush hour of dinner. He had gotten used to the fast pace of customer service and as long as he kept a smile painted on his face, no one had any complaints.

It was a normal day just like any other when Baekhyun happened to look up and see Jongin enter with his fingers laced through another's. It had taken all of his strength not to have his legs buckle and fall face first into the ground.

Just in the doorway stood perhaps the only man he had ever loved.  (He had had his fair share of flings in the early years of university, but nothing too serious.) Jongin looked amazing. He had filled out a lot since they last saw each other at Baekhyun's graduation and was now sporting deep brown hair instead of his natural black.

Donning a royal blue button down and fitted black slacks, Jongin looked like he had walked right out of a magazine. It was almost too much for Baekhyun just to see, so when Jongin and the mystery man stopped by the host, waiting to be seated, Baekhyun shot a panicked look at his manager, trying to tell him telepathically not to have them sit at one of his tables.

Of course, his luck was shittier than ever today, so the host marched Jongin and whoever it was he was with over to one of Baekhyun's tables. Just seeing the way they doted on each other told Baekhyun more than enough and he knew that he had no desire to serve them at all.

It had taken his manager clearing his throat behind Baekhyun to make him jump up and head over to the table, dread pooling in his feet like lead weights. He plastered his best fake smile on his face as he approached them and tried his best to seem nonchalant. It didn’t work.

"Hi, what can I get you two today?"

"Baekhyun?" Jongin asked, peering up at him like a deer in the headlights.

He still had that boyish charm. The bronzed skin had evened out even more now and his eyes were like two magnets that drew Baekhyun into them until he was falling. He had never had strong resolve around him.

Baekhyun's smile pinched his face and he nodded his head, suddenly feeling incredibly embarrassed to be working at the restaurant instead of dining at it. He fidgeted with his apron while he spoke. "Yep, in the flesh. Good to see you, Jongin."

"I-I didn't know you were up here? It's been so long, how are you?" Jongin asked and Baekhyun wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Baekhyun let his voice falter before forcing himself to pep back up. He didn't want to get reprimanded by his boss all because of an ex-high school sweetheart. "I've been good, just finishing up school before I take over my dad's company."

"That's nice to hear," the man across from Jongin said suddenly and then offered his hand, giving Jongin a narrow-eyed look. "I'm Junmyeon, it's always a pleasure to meet one of Jongin's old friends."

"Right. Friend. Um, can I get your drink orders?" Baekhyun's voice cracked at the very end and he had to take a steadying breath before pasting his smile back on his sore cheeks. Smiling this hard had to look off, but he was about two threads from unravelling completely.

"Oh don't be modest, honey," Jongin said and laced his fingers through Junmyeon's on the table. "Junmyeon is my fiance, we'll be getting married in the autumn." Jongin's gentle smile at Junmyeon had been the sledgehammer that shattered Baekhyun's heart into pieces while Jongin's words had been the grinding stone that turned those pieces into dust.

"Congratulations," Baekhyun said flatly. He was suddenly drained of all desire to remain cordial and started backing away. "I just got called back to the kitchen, why don't you two take a look at the menu and I'll bring some waters out for you in a moment."

He couldn't get away fast enough. Once he was out of sight of the table, he darted to the kitchen and braced himself against the industrial sink, clinging to it as he gasped for breath. Jongin hadn't just moved on since he graduated, he had gone and fallen in love with someone else.

The order pad slid from Baekhyun's grip and fell to the floor, landing in a puddle at his feet. He bent to pick it up but as soon as he was kneeling, he just wanted to lay down on the floor and not get up. This was too much for him. Entirely too much.

Another clearing of his manager's voice and Baekhyun sprang up, wiping his eyes hurriedly and trying his best to hide his sniffle. All it took was one look to his boss and the man softened immediately.

"Whose ass do I need to kick, Byun?"

Baekhyun shook his head. He didn't want Jongin hurt. Not in the slightest. He only wanted the best for him and if he had only had the balls to get back in contact with him after graduating perhaps that would have been him sitting there at that table, fingers laced in a crown.

"Ah, bad breakup then?"

Baekhyun nodded, not trusting his words and sucked in a shaky breath. "You could say that."

HIs manager pursed his lips and then rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, sit tight and I'll give your table to someone else."

Then he left and pulled aside one of Baekhyun's coworkers. Baekhyun crept up to the door to eavesdrop and heard his boss in the foreground.

_ Your previous server has fallen ill, so Minah will be taking over for you gentleman today. _

When his manager came back to the kitchen he sighed and clapped a hand on Baekhyun's shoulder. "Go home, or stay back here, I'm not going to force you out on the floor to have to witness all that."

It was an uncanny offer of kindness form his manager and for that, Baekhyun was thankful. Instead of leaving -- he didn't want to have to pass by the table on the way out -- he took off his apron and sat by the door, so he could torture himself by watching Jongin and his fiance.

Every playful glance, every loving gaze, every time one of them touched the other's hand, or when Jongin reached across to wipe a bit of food from Junmyeon's lips, was another nail in the coffin for Baekhyun's heart. He watched them hollowly, feeling the dull ache in his chest with every strained breath.

He wasn't even sure why he was watching them canoodle. Perhaps it was to make sure that what he was seeing was real and not a phantasm created by his mind to give his monotonous life some drama. But, the longer he looked, the more he felt his insides liquify inside him. He wanted to turn away, but that didn't mean that they ceased to exist, in fact, it only made his imagination concoct worse things in his mind.

It was after the third time Baekhyun saw Jongin laugh at something Junmyeon had said that he decided to go to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He knew the cool sensation would clear his head a bit and he could even hide out in there until they left. It was the only thing he could think of.

He entered the bathroom with shaky legs and a sigh. Staring at his own reflection, Baekhyun almost didn't recognize himself. Just this morning he had been perfectly fine...happy even. But now? Now he was hurting in the worst way and there was nothing he could do about it.

He leaned down and turned the faucet on, cupping his hands and bringing them to his face. The sound of the water filled his ears, numbing him as he sat there with his face in the sink. He didn’t even have the drive to splash his face again, and just let his head hang low while he tried to calm his heart with breathing. He had been so preoccupied with the sound of the water that he didn't notice that someone else had entered the restroom until he felt an all too familiar hand on the small of his back.

Baekhyun whipped around, his wet hands slipping against the counter and his face dripping water down onto his black dress shirt. He was face to face with Jongin, who was regarding him strangely and holding a couple of paper towels in his hands.

To Baekhyun’s horror, Jongin reached forward and patted his face dry wordlessly. Baekhyun's blood roared in his ears and he remained frozen, cursing his legs for going weak at the very touch of Jongin and the closeness of their bodies. He could smell him, his fresh scent mixed with a very light musk. It was intoxicating and Baekhyun wished that he could at least push Jongin back or slap him because this act was too intimate for someone with a fiance and it was too much for Baekhyun. But, he had always been weak for Jongin.

When his face was properly dried, Baekhyun was finally able to move. He brought his wet fingers to his cheeks, pressing them harshly into the skin to test the feeling while Jongin stared at him with a gaze tinged with sadness and nostalgia.

Nothing more was said between them, other than Jongin's "You're looking really great, Baekhyun." before he left the bathroom, taking the very last of Baekhyun's strength with him.

He cried in a stall after that.

_____

 

The fourth time Baekhyun saw Jongin had come years later when Baekhyun had all but forgotten that night at the restaurant.

He had been sitting in the back of his company's sedan at the entrance waiting for the valet to open his door so he could get out. It was only as he stepped out of the car that he noticed another sleek black sedan behind his and hesitated.

He knew he had a meeting with the board of directors today about a possible business deal, but other than that he had not been fully briefed. Baekhyun straightened his tie and adjusted his grip on his briefcase as he snuck not-so-subtle glances at the car behind him. When the man stepped out, Baekhyun nearly dropped everything.

Blonde hair cropped short on the sides and a bit longer on the top framed the face of Baekhyun’s long-lost flame: Kim Jongin. Jongin straightened his cuffs before taking his briefcase in his hand and walking towards the entrance, seeming not have noticed Baekhyun yet.

That was a blessing in and of itself because while Baekhyun had learned how to keep a straight face when dealing with others, Jongin was still his ultimate weakness. Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company didn't prepare him for the dealings of the heart. Nothing prepared him for that.

By the time Jongin was behind him, Baekhyun had started walking towards the door, head held high and a firm grip on the handle of his brief. He figured if anything, Jongin was probably visiting for the day. It wasn't unheard of. His company had dozens of young businessmen passing through the doors day in and day out. This was no different than the rest.

They reached the door at the same time and Baekhyun gave Jongin a cordial nod before splitting off to go to his office. All the way, he inwardly berated himself for even acknowledging Jongin at all. Nothing but trouble would come from it, he knew that for sure. He’d spent years burying those feelings for Jongin and it had taken only minutes for them to bubble back to the surface.

Once inside his office, Baekhyun tossed his briefcase on the minimalist couch seated in front of his window and slid his suit jacket off. He was already feeling much too hot despite the cool air conditioner keeping the building a slightly chilled temperature.

It was only seconds later that his assistant, Kyungsoo, waltzed through the door carrying a stack of paper and a devious smirk on his face.

"Please tell me how you know that hot piece of man meat you walked in with just now," he said as he plopped the stack of papers on Baekhyun's desk and clapped his hands on his hips. "I want deets, like yesterday."

Baekhyun shook his head, a smile playing at his mouth and fell into his chair. He had hired Kyungsoo despite his unprofessional air for the hell of it, and now was one of the moments that he was grateful for his bluntness.

"We went to school together," Baekhyun said and opened the first folder on his desk.

He scanned the page, eyes glazing over the legalese and going blurry on the edges. It was only nine in the morning and he was already up to his neck in paperwork. The life of a CEO was not all gold and glitter.

"Oh, so you're high school sweethearts! How tasty!" Kyungsoo purred and sat down on the sofa. He crossed his legs rather flamboyantly and laced his fingers over his knee. "So, tell me, is he free game or do you have a claim on him?" He paused as he waited for Baekhyun to respond, but before Baekhyun could, he continued. "I mean with the way he looked back at you as you walked away, I'd say Mister Sex-on-legs still has feelings."

Baekhyun chuckled under his breath and decided to keep Kyungsoo in the dark. He had gotten used to the idea that Jongin was a taken man a long time ago. He was thirty-five after all, and people had to learn to let go of things as they got older. Still, he couldn't help but enjoy the ego-stroke that Jongin had looked back at him. It meant he still had that oomf.

Picking up his pen to sign the first of many papers, Baekhyun set to work dutifully scrawling his signature onto various files. It wasn’t until he reached a rather thin file that he paused. When he saw the name of the foundation they were saddling up with,  _ The Kim Foundation _ , the pen fell from his fingers and Baekhyun's eyes shot up.

"You," he pointed to Kyungsoo. "Clear my afternoon and request a private meeting with Mr. Kim asap."

"Ugh. Why?" Kyungsoo whined, but when Baekhyun gave him a look he popped to his feet and scurried to the door. "Right away, sir."

Baekhyun's hands began trembling as he sat back down in his chair. They were partnering with Jongin's family's company and that meant that he would be seeing him around a whole hell of a lot more than he wanted to. Past feelings aside, Baekhyun had prided himself on being unfazeable at the company and he couldn't have Jongin ruining that for him. He was his weakness, whether he admitted it or not.

It was twenty minutes later when Kyungsoo stuck his head in the door and said, "All set, sir. I've moved the board meeting up to ten and set up a meeting with Mr. Kim at two. The rest of your day is also cleared."

"Thank you, Kyungsoo. When Jong-,” he closed his eyes as he paused, collecting himself.  “When Mr. Kim comes by, take the rest of the day off."

"Yes, sir!" Kyungsoo said and saluted Baekhyun. It brought a flash of a smile to his face before the anticipation of seeing Jongin took over.

It was twenty minutes 'til ten, so Baekhyun set about straightening up the papers on his desk. By that, he meant letting them fall into the bottom drawer of his desk and then kicking it shut. That ought to do it. He'd take a look at the contracts some other time when his mind was less of a mess.

The meeting was relatively painless. If Baekhyun could call being seated next to the very Kim Jongin, painless. He couldn't help but breathe in his cologne and with every breath, he grew more restless. He just wanted to either pin Jongin to the back wall or have Jongin take him on the table. It seemed that time and distance had only made him grow fonder in more ways than one.

Afterwards, however, Baekhyun paced around his office, fidgeting with his cufflinks and loosening his tie only to tighten it and then loosen it again. He had been doing this for the better of an hour before he felt eyes on him.

Just outside his office, a couple of employees sat at their cubicles, peering in at Baekhyun's office with concern. Baekhyun froze, eyes flicking over to the string that controlled the blinds. He knew alarming his company with his anxiety over meeting Jongin would do no good for morale so he closed the blinds and continued to pace back and forth until Kyungsoo knocked on the door, announcing Jongin's arrival at his office. He rehearsed his plan in his head: tell Jongin that they needed to be professional and leave things at that. But plans never seemed to work out for Baekhyun.

The second the blonde stepped into his office, Baekhyun didn't know what came over him, but suddenly he was flinging his arms around Jongin and kissing him with all the passion and emotions that he had let build up. He was vaguely aware of Kyungsoo's gasp in the background and the follow click of the door being shut a few seconds later.

But, none of that mattered. All that mattered to Baekhyun right now was the softness of Jongin's lips on his and the way Jongin curled his arms around him, pulling them closer. He hadn't kissed anyone like this since the night he and Jongin had broken up and part of him was ready to let those floodgates open up and take control.

Jongin moaned against his mouth and that brought Baekhyun back to reality. He jumped back, bracing himself against his desk and pinching the bridge of his nose while he panted. Jongin had been here for all of a day and Baekhyun was already acting a complete mess.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Baekhyun said breathlessly. He shook his head and refused to look up at Jongin. He had so little resolve.

"It's okay," Jongin said with a thick voice.

He walked closer to Baekhyun, but Baekhyun put his arm out, fingers splayed and eyes shut. "Please, you're a ma--"

"Divorced man," Jongin interrupted and gently guided Baekhyun's hand down to his side.

Baekhyun's eyes shot open and he blinked up at Jongin. Had he heard him correctly? He was about to ask Jongin what he meant when the bronzed man held up his hand. There was a faint tan line from the ring on his finger, but other than that, it was completely bare.

"Finalized the paperwork last week," Jongin said.

He was standing too close, Baekhyun thought. He white-knuckled the edge of his desk and suck air into his rapidly expanding lungs. This was dizzying. What kind of cruel joke was this? Putting his high school sweetheart in front of him on a silver platter like this?

"Why are you here?"

It was the only question Baekhyun could force from his lips. There were others, namely of a more desperate nature, but Baekhyun was beginning to pull his mask back up. He just needed to change the power dynamic and maybe--

"To see you," Jongin said shyly. He ran his fingers through blonde hair and gave Baekhyun the same boyish look that had stolen his heart all those years ago.

That stopped Baekhyun dead in his tracks. A tiny whine in the back of his throat sounded and he was connected to Jongin's lips once more. Oh, how he missed them. They were the sort of thing he didn't realize he'd miss when they went their separate ways, but now Baekhyun wanted nothing more than to kiss Jongin until his dying breath.

This time, it was Jongin who pulled back, thumb swiping over plumped lips and causing a shiver to run down to Baekhyun's toes. He was complete putty in Jongin's hands. He always had been and time had not made even an inkling of a difference.

"Why?" Baekhyun asked. It was more to himself than for Jongin to hear.

Jongin trailed the backs of his fingers down the slope of Baekhyun's jaw, pausing to rest on his shoulder before sliding down the length of his arm. Even that had left Baekhyun electrified.

"Because ever since that night, I realized I was forcing myself to live a lie," Jongin said.

Baekhyun furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have gotten married so young, I shouldn't have let you go like I did."

Baekhyun shook his head. The night came flooding back into his mind as if the levees had broken. He turned and stared out the window before slipping away from Jongin to go stand behind his desk. The distance between their bodies allowed for some composure.

"You looked so happy... I figured you'd moved on," Baekhyun murmured. He pulled out his chair and sat down hard. He had worked to keep the pain away, but now Jongin was here and he was dredging up old wounds that he had swept under the metaphorical carpet.

Jongin scoffed. "I tried, I really did. For a while I believed I did, but then I kept seeing your face and the way you looked at me in the bathroom and I just couldn't."

"Then why did you get married?" It came out just as harsh as he had meant it. The cool and collected mask was back and now Baekhyun could feign disinterest.

"Obligation," Jongin shrugged. "It looks better to be in a relationship when taking over a company. Junmyeon was there, he'd always been, so it was easy."

It wasn't unheard of, a marriage of contract in the business world. It was almost expected, but Jongin had made it seem like he had been in love with his ex that night.

"But," Jongin continued, pulling Baekhyun's chair out from the desk and sinking to his knees between Baekhyun's legs. "He wasn't you. No matter how hard I tried to make him you, he wasn't."

Just like that, Baekhyun's mask cracked and fell in shards around him. He reached for Jongin's face, brows creased and his throat tightening. "All these years?"

Jongin nodded his head and scooted closer, kissing the expensive fabric that covered Baekhyun's thighs -- though he wished it hadn't. "All these years I've been in love with you, but never reached out. I never even tried. I just figured you were tired of me."

"No, never--"

Jongin peered up at Baekhyun, eyes so full of remorse but also hope. "I'd do anything for you, you know that?" He rose to his feet and braced either hand on Baekhyun's armrest. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against Baekhyun's and inhaled deeply. "Anything," he repeated.

Baekhyun leaned into Jongin, tilting his head up, chasing Jongin's lips with his own as he fumbled with the second drawer on his desk. He knew what was inside of it. It had been there for months, but he had never even opened the bottle of lube. He never had a reason for it. At least, not recently.

The drawer opened with a screeching sound while Baekhyun let Jongin's tongue slip into his mouth. He moaned, lost in the heat of the moment and his hand fell away from the drawer. He dragged his fingers up Jongin's back and pulled him down closer to him, deepening the kiss. He just couldn't help himself.

When he broke the connection, Jongin kept following his lips with his own, desperately trying to capture them, but Baekhyun needed a moment to breathe. What he was about to do was something that had been only a fantasy on his darkest nights. He felt around for the bottle and dropped it on his desk, chest heaving and heart racing.

"I want you to fuck me," he said haughtily.

Jongin paused, face full of surprise and fading lust. "Right here?"

Baekhyun nodded and adjusted his boner with absolutely no subtlety. It felt so hot strained against his slacks. An aching, pulsing hotness that begged for Jongin's fingers to be wrapped around it.

Jongin glanced towards the door and then back to Baekhyun, obviously battling internally with his desire and his need to be perceived as professional. If it were any other person, Baekhyun would have applauded them for their professionalism, but right now Baekhyun was so deep in his glutinous lust that he needed to feel Jongin inside of him right then and there.

"Maybe we should wait until everyone leaves," he said and then dipped in to kiss Baekhyun once more. "I want to hear you scream my name, and I don't think you want your employees eavesdropping, do you?"

The whine was out before Baekhyun could stop it, so his face heated as he tried to compose himself. "I suppose that would be in my best interest. You may go, Jongin."

Jongin beamed at Baekhyun. It was so reminiscent of the way he would smile at Baekhyun all those years ago it almost hurt. Almost. This time, Baekhyun knew that when Jongin came back, he wasn't going to let him slip through his fingers ever again.

 

The end of the day could not come fast enough. With his schedule clear, Baekhyun ended up putting the bottle of lube to use. It had been so long since he had even pleasured himself that he climaxed after only ten minutes, spasming and bucking into his hand with the start of Jongin's name on his lips.

After that, he had showered and changed into his second suit and taken to going through the stack of paperwork he had been neglecting all day. By the time Jongin knocked on his open door, Baekhyun only had one more contract to go over before signing and calling it a day.

Jongin entered the room, tie hanging loose over his shoulders and a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands. Baekhyun almost did a double take but he kept his calm and simply lowered his reading glasses and gave Jongin a knowing smile as he placed the bottle and glasses on the coffee table.

"I see you've come prepared," Baekhyun said, not looking up from the papers. Internally he was swooning, but Jongin didn't need to get a big head quite yet.

Jongin popped the cork and poured them both some wine before saying, "Thought I'd take the edge off a bit. Unwind while we catch up like adults." His gaze flicked over to the lube on Baekhyun's desk and then he smirked. "You never could wait, could you?"

Baekhyun placed the end of the pen between his teeth and snorted at Jongin. "Don't act like you still know me. We may as well be strangers, Mr. Kim."

The quirk of Jongin's smile told Baekhyun that establishing the power play between them was going to be a lot more difficult than it was when they were younger. Jongin had been so malleable back then. He bent to Baekhyun's will so easily and without complaint. But, tonight it seemed that the roles were going to be reversed.

"You can't have changed too much,  _ Mr. Byun _ ," Jongin said, placing a glass on Baekhyun's desk and taking a sip of his own before letting it join his.

Then, he set about massaging Baekhyun's shoulders, which melted the latter instantly. Jongin had always had such magical hands. A grunt and a few sighs later and Baekhyun had to admit that Jongin still knew his body quite well. Especially where he held his stress and just how to relieve it.

"See, you haven't changed a bit, baby" Jongin said, kissing the shell of Baekhyun's ear.

He also knew just how much Baekhyun liked hearing Jongin breathe in his ear. Something about it was just as intoxicating as the strongest drug. He closed his eyes, letting himself fall into Jongin capable grasp and before he knew it, he was straddling Jongin on the sofa by the window.

He could see the lights of the city down below, flashing their reds, greens, and yellows. Some of the lights blurred together as traffic began moving and Baekhyun braced himself against the glass while Jongin sucked dark bruises on his chest.

Baekhyun gasped when Jongin flicked the bud of his nipple with his tongue and arched his back. He was being so sensual, the way he ran his hands up and down Baekhyun's sides, leaving goosebumps and light welts in their wake. Baekhyun clamped down on his lip to prevent a whimper from leaving his mouth when Jongin fixed his mouth to Baekhyun's nipple, sucking on it.

"God, I missed this," Baekhyun rasped.

"Me too," Jongin said against his chest, the heat of his breath tickling him slightly.

Jongin pulled Baekhyun down, flush against his open dress shirt and stared into his eyes. There was so much emotion behind them, just brimming at the surface, waiting to be shown to Baekhyun. Feeling the growing hardness in Jongin's slacks Baekhyun began grinding his own against it. He wanted to rid of his pants, but Jongin was determined to savor this moment, so Baekhyun relented. Jongin had  _ always _ been his weakness.

He rested his forehead against Jongin's, panting and moaning against his cheek on the verge of begging. Jongin knew just how to tease him to the very edge of coherency. He shifted his pants, undoing the button and pulling out his throbbing cock. The moment Jongin's fingers brushed it, it twitched, as if it knew who was touching it. Only Jongin had been able to make his body react like that.

Slick precum beaded at the swollen head, spilling just over the glands and the backs of Jongin's knuckles. Baekhyun hissed under his breath, turning to nuzzle Jongin's neck and nip at him. "Please," he whispered.

That broke down all of Jongin's hesitance and he lightly pushed Baekhyun off him and removed his shirt and slacks as quickly as he could. When he sat back down on the sofa, he fisted his cock a few times while Baekhyun went back to grab a swig of wine and the bottle of lube. He was so ready for this. He was aching for this.

Baekhyun started to straddle Jongin again, but Jongin shook his head no. "I want to eat your ass first."

Baekhyun wasn't one to say no to that, so he giggled a bit tipsily and set up on the sofa, face towards the window and legs apart. Jongin hardly wasted a second before coming up behind him and spreading the mounds of his ass apart. Thankful for taking that shower earlier, Baekhyun let out a wheeze at the first contact of Jongin's tongue.

It was so hot and wet and the way he swirled it around Baekhyun's opening had his knees already weak and his fingers digging into the back of his sofa. He breath fogged the glass as Jongin flattened his tongue against Baekhyun's hole and hummed. "Feels so good," Baekhyun whispered.

In response, Jongin lapped at him, pressing harder with his tongue and moaning into his ass like it was his last meal on earth. He lifted Baekhyun by the hips and curled his fingers around Baekhyun leaking dick and stroked it slowly. Just enough to drive Baekhyun crazy but not enough for him to climax.

"Oh, god..." Baekhyun gasped when the heat of Jongin's tongue prodded at the tight ring of muscles and slipped in. He wasn't ready for that, but it felt so amazing.

Wiggling his hips, Baekhyun grinded back onto Jongin's tongue, little gasps and moans littering the air. Jongin continued stroking him slowly all the while and Baekhyun was getting frustrated by the lack of speed and started to thrust into his hand. But then, it was gone, leaving Baekhyun to whine pitifully.

With an obscene sound, Jongin pulled away from Baekhyun's ass and the sound of him sipping some wine was heard before he grabbed Baekhyun by the waist and settled him back onto his lap.

Baekhyun was trembling from the overstimulation but he let Jongin guide their dicks together as he moved his hips. Just seeing their cocks sliding over each other, precum glistening around their heads and slicking their shafts was enough to make Baekhyun groan deep in his chest.

Jongin tangled his fingers into Baekhyun's silvery hair and brought their mouths together roughly. Noses bumped and teeth knocked in their hurried kissing, but Baekhyun wasn't complaining. All he could taste was the red wine on Jongin's lips and it was stirring a hot sensation low in his abdomen.

They parted briefly for air, and that was when Jongin whispered, "I love you."

It had taken Baekhyun by surprise in the midst of all this heated passion that he almost choked, but when he looked into Jongin's face he saw that it was true. It was written as plain as day that this man loved him and Baekhyun had to switch his gaze to the city down below while he gathered his wits.

"Do you feel the same?" Jongin asked, pulling out the bottle of lube and flipping open the cap. He busied himself with preparing them both while Baekhyun garnered the strength to reply between small whimpers.

It wasn't until Baekhyun was sliding down on Jongin's cock that the words finally left his lips. "Yes, yes, I love you, too."

He kept saying the words over and over as he rose and fell, riding Jongin on that couch. There was something romantic about the backdrop of the city coupled with the music of their love-making -- because that was what it was now.

They were catching up for all the time missed, clinging to each other, whispering each other's names between the pounding of their bodies. It was ecstasy being filled by Jongin over and over again. He held on so tightly to Baekhyun's waist, guiding him up and down, sometimes holding him still while he pistoned into him, face lax with lust and love.

Sweat misted their skin, drenching their backs, but Baekhyun still curled into Jongin, hiccuping and crying out his name as he was brought closer and closer to the edge. He was going to explode, not just from the pleasure but from the tender way Jongin was teasing his neck with his lips. The gentle way Jongin was holding onto him like his life depended on it. The way he was now cradling Baekhyun's face with trembling hands and kissing his cheeks, his nose, his eyelids, anything he could graze with his lips.

Baekhyun had never felt so loved in his life. He had never felt so full to the brim, so close to popping like he did right now. They had moved from Baekhyun being on top, riding him to Jongin hovering over him, gently wiping away sweat-drenched hair from his forehead as he canted his hips into Baekhyun.

Baekhyun's dick lay nearly forgotten against his stomach, but then Jongin's hand closed over it, pumping and thumbing his frenulum until Baekhyun was a mess of limbs, arching and bucking against him.

"So...close....ah!" Baekhyun grit out between holding his breath. Even breathing gave him too much stimulation and he was teetering.

Another swipe of Jongin's thumb, combined with him striking Baekhyun's prostate and Baekhyun was shuddering and screaming Jongin's name with reckless abandon. He was so blissed out of his mind that even when Jongin moved to kiss him, Baekhyun could only feebly respond while he caught his breath. He had not cum like that in years.

Jongin's climax came a bit later, after languid undulations of his hips and pressing his lips to Baekhyun's face wherever he could. He had always been a sincere and passionate lover, and Baekhyun now knew that that had never changed.

They laid there, boneless bodies and gasping breaths while they came down from their post-coital highs. Baekhyun was the first to stir, feeling the sticky mess of his cum strewn about his stomach and chest, and the dropping of Jongin's semen leaking out onto the sofa. Part of him wanted to be appalled at the mess they made, but it was short-lived because Jongin sleepily clung to Baekhyun.

"Don't leave me," he whispered into the shell of Baekhyun's ear.

Not even if he wanted to, would Baekhyun have left after that. He stayed in Jongin's arms, dozing off and on until the early morning rays of light poured into the room. Whether they had wanted to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the company or not, there was no hiding it now. There was no more hiding for Baekhyun at all.

As he gazed down at the blonde strands of the man still sleeping on his chest, Baekhyun couldn't help but feel like this was his own slice of heaven.

_____

They say good things always come in threes, but Baekhyun knew for sure that good things came in fours. The four times he met Kim Jongin shaped his life into what it was now. As he stood waiting at the altar for his soon-to-be husband to join him, Baekhyun couldn't help but smile as he thought back to the time when he thought he hated Jongin.

He had loved him from the start. It had always been him. It had always been Kim Jongin.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there lovelies. This was kind of a spur of the moment thing that happened by accident but here we are! It was supposed to be a short fluffy enemies to lovers but idk my soft (hard) heart for kaibaek took over and well I ended up with this. I hope you still enjoyed! And for those of you looking out for Nox Mundi, it's coming this weekend! Please anticipate~
> 
> Until next time~


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